A review of the Saraste shirtdress sewing pattern by Named Clothing

I recently shared a photo of my latest Saraste shirtdress on Instagram and the post received a really enthusiastic reaction.  A lot people admired the pattern and all of its lovely details and wanted more information about it.  So I thought I would write up a blog post with all of the information you need to know about the Saraste shirtdress.  Grab yourself a cuppa and read on about this very pretty sewing pattern…

The pattern

The Saraste shirtdress is a sewing pattern by Named Clothing from their first book ‘Breaking the Pattern’.  The book is described as ‘offering a modern approach to dressmaking, showcasing the true beauty of clean-cut Scandinavian style’.  It includes a collection of 20 garments designed to form a capsule wardrobe.  The Saraste shirtdress is only available to buy as part of this book – it cannot be purchased as a standalone pattern.

The Saraste shirtdress is a button down front dress with a princess seamed bodice (with back yoke detail), semi-fitted waist and gathered skirt.  The dress is designed to be midi length and has short sleeves.  The dress features a standup collar with a really lovely ruffle.  Another lovely detail on this pattern is the flat front of the dress – the front panels run all the way down the bodice and skirt, with the skirt gathered only around the side and back bodice pieces. The pattern does not include pockets, but these could easily be added.

As well as the shirtdress, the Saraste pattern also includes shirt and top variations, which both have some interesting and slightly different details to them.

I have made two versions of the Saraste shirtdress (so far!).  For my first version, I made the pattern in midi length and I added a ruffle to the hem of the sleeves.  For my second version, I cropped the dress to knee length and omitted the sleeve ruffle. 

The fabric

Named Clothing recommend crisp shirting as the best option for the shirt version of the Saraste pattern, but suggest that the shirtdress and top can be sewn in a lighter weight fabric with drape.

Both my versions of the Saraste dress are made in cotton lawn.  I love sewing with cotton lawn.  I think it is the perfect fabric for a comfortable summery shirtdress.  It has enough crispness and structure to show off all of the shirtdress details and to create a nice sharp collar and button placket.  But it is also soft and lightweight so very comfortable to wear.

For my first version I chose a lovely Dashwood Studio cotton lawn.  I really liked the dotty print and the colours in the fabric.  The base of the fabric is a very light grey colour and the dots are in teal, maroon, navy, grey and white.  I added navy buttons to stand out against the busy print.  The Dashwood cotton lawn has a really silky feel to it and was very nice to sew with.  This print is currently unavailable but Minerva currently stocks a beautiful range of Dashwood cotton lawns – link here.

For my second version I used a cotton lawn by Fabric Godmother named ‘Pesca Floral’.  I saw this fabric go by on Instagram and immediately knew I wanted to turn it into a shirtdress.  It’s a vintage print and the fabric has been developed by Fabric Godmother in collaboration with the Print Pattern Archive.  I just love the vibrant cobalt blue colour of this print and how the floral motifs in orange and peach really pop against the blue.  I had fun choosing buttons for this dress – I chose orange buttons then sewed them on with blue thread for an extra detail.  This fabric is unfortunately out of stock now at Fabric Godmother.

Sizing

All of the patterns in the ‘Breaking the Pattern’ book are available in a UK size 6-22, from bust 31½ inches up to bust 45 5/8 inches.

My measurements are bust 32 waist 26 hips 36 inches.  Based on the sizing chart this would roughly put me as a size 6 for bust and a size 8 for waist and hips. 

For my first version of the Saraste shirtdress, I traced a size 6 at the bust and graded out to a size 8 at the waist and hips in accordance with my measurements. The princess seams sit really nicely on me around the bust at this size.  The waist is semi-fitted on this version as intended by the pattern.  And there is plenty of room at the hips due to the gathered skirt.

For my second version I decided I wanted to bring the waist to be a little more fitted so I sized down to a size 6 at the waist. 

I like how both versions fit and I really like that they each have a slightly different feel to each other in terms of the fit at the waist.

I particularly like how this pattern feels around my shoulders.  My shoulders are fairly broad and I find there is plenty of room in this pattern without the need for adjustment.  There is no feeling of tightness if I bring my arms forward when wearing my Saraste shirtdresses, it is very comfortable in this area.

One small adjustment I made on both versions is to scoop out 1cm out of the bottom of the armhole, just to give a little more room there.  This is an adjustment I often make to mitigate the risk of tight fitting armholes.

I have included details of the other non-sizing related adjustments I made below.

Adjustments

Saraste dress no. 1 – sleeve ruffle

As mentioned above, I had fun adding a sleeve ruffle to this version.  I roughly calculated the width of the sleeve ruffle as 1.5 x sleeve width (the same ratio as the collar ruffle to the collar edge) and I used the same depth for the sleeve ruffle as for the collar ruffle.

Saraste dress no. 2 – skirt length

I shortened the skirt pattern pieces by 6 inches to bring my second shirtdress to knee length.

Sewing process

I would describe the Saraste shirtdress as an intermediate level sewing pattern. The book ‘Breaking the Pattern’ is split into 10 pattern sections and the patterns gradually increase in difficulty throughout the course of the book.  The Saraste sewing pattern is the seventh pattern in the book, which gives you an idea of where it sits in terms of difficulty.

The fiddly bits on this pattern include sewing the button placket and the collar with stand as well as setting in the sleeves.  I also found it quite challenging to get a nice even gather on the collar ruffle.  It’s quite a small piece to gather and it took me a few tries to get a gather I was happy with!

I found the pattern enjoyable to sew and found that it comes together really nicely.  One thing to note is that the pattern instructions do jump around a little in the book.  Some steps in the shirtdress pattern refer you to the instructions for other patterns in the book. 

I really like how this pattern is very easily customizable.  The collars of all three Saraste patterns (shirtdress, shirt and top) are all interchangeable.  All three versions also work with the sleeve from the Solina dress – another very pretty pattern in the book.  I feel like you could make several Saraste dresses that look very different to each other by adapting each one with the different options that are available.

I also love the thoughtful construction details on this pattern.  The enclosed yoke gives a lovely finish to the back bodice.  And the back darts give a really nice shape to the bodice, as do the princess seams to the front bodice. It just feels like a very well designed pattern.

I do love sewing a shirtdress pattern – it’s one of my favourite types of patterns to sew.  The Saraste shirtdress definitely does not disappoint.  It is a fun sewing project and comes together really nicely.  I enjoyed taking my time over both my versions.  I think it’s a pattern you wouldn’t want to rush, to ensure that you can get a really nice finish on areas like the button placket and collar, which make all the difference to the finished garment.

Summary

The Saraste shirtdress pattern is a really great shirtdress pattern with details that really set it apart from your average shirtdress.  It is really nicely constructed and very enjoyable to sew.  It’s very comfortable to wear too.

I love that my two versions are quite different from each other.  And I love the potential for more customization on possible future versions. 

I will definitely be reaching for both of my versions a lot when the warmer weather arrives here (hopefully soon!).  I plan to style them with a pair of plimsolls and a denim jacket or with some sandals when the weather gets really hot. 

I hope you enjoy this pattern too if you give it a go!